Andigena laminirostris Gould, 1851

Taxonomic Naming

Plate-billed Mountain-Toucans (Andigena laminirostris Gould, 1851) have a large, laterally compressed bill.

Bill Characteristics

The front half of the bill is black, the back half is mostly red, and a raised yellow plate on the upper mandible is the unique feature that gives the species its name.

Facial Features

They have a reddish brown iris and a bare area around the eye, which is yellow below and turquoise green above.

Upper Body Plumage

Their crown and nape are black, and the rest of their upper body is bronzy olive.

Neck and Underpart Plumage

The sides of the neck and underparts are blue gray, with a yellow patch on the flanks that is partially covered by the wings.

Rump, Tail, and Lower Body Plumage

They have a yellow rump patch, a black tail with chestnut-colored tips, bright red crissum (the area around the vent), and brownish maroon thighs.

Body Length and Bill Size

This species measures about 42 to 53 centimeters (16.5 to 21 inches) in total length, with a relatively lightweight bill that can grow up to 10 centimeters long.

Weight

On average, males weigh about 314 grams (11.1 ounces) and females weigh about 303 grams (10.7 ounces).

Foot Structure

It is zygodactylous, meaning it has two toes facing forward and two toes pointing backward.

General Distribution

Plate-billed mountain toucans are distributed across the western foothills of the Andes in western Ecuador and far southwestern Colombia.

Detailed Range Boundaries

In Colombia, their range extends from Pita Canyon (Narino) in southwestern Colombia south to the northwestern border of Ecuador's Morona-Santiago Province.

Habitat Type

They live in humid forest and the edges of temperate forest on the lateral slope of the Andes Mountains.

Habitat Characteristics

These humid forests have abundant epiphytes, bromeliads, and mosses, receive an average of 14 feet of rainfall per year, and have a canopy that ranges from 6 to 10 meters high.

Altitudinal Range

Their typical altitudinal range is between 1600 and 2600 meters above sea level, and they have been observed several times at 3100 meters elevation in Imbabura, Ecuador.

Ecological Niche Overlap

Due to their shared altitudinal range, plate-billed mountain toucans share their ecological niche with the Andean cock-of-the-rock.

Estimated Living Area

Their estimated total living area is 14300 km2.

Primary Diet

The plate-billed mountain toucan feeds mainly on fruit, and occasionally eats insects and eggs.

Seed Dispersal Role

It disperses the seeds of plants including the mountain understory shrub Faramea affinis and the palm Prestoea acuminata.

Rare Prey Observation

There is one recorded observation of this bird eating a caecilian (Caecilia sp.).